Clippers center DeAndre Jordan tries to get control of the ball after his shot was blocked by Cavaliers forward LeBron James, rear, during the first half of Friday’s game at Staples Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell rolls over after scoring and drawing a foul during the first half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Friday, March 9, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James reaches to try to intercept an inbound pass during the first half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Friday, March 9, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell celebrates after scoring and drawing a foul during the first half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Friday, March 9, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan dunks as Cleveland Cavaliers guard George Hill, left, and forward LeBron James watch during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 9, 2018, in Los Angeles. The Clippers won 116-102. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James watches his shot go in during the second half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Friday, March 9, 2018, in Los Angeles. The Clippers won 116-102. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James celebrates after scoring during the second half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Friday, March 9, 2018, in Los Angeles. The Clippers won 116-102. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Clippers center DeAndre Jordan tries to get control of the ball after his shot was blocked by Cavaliers forward LeBron James, rear, during the first half of Friday’s game at Staples Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James dunks during the second half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Friday, March 9, 2018, in Los Angeles. The Clippers won 116-102. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams, left, celebrates after hitting a 3-point shot during the first half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Friday, March 9, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Actor Billy Crystal claps during the second half of an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Friday, March 9, 2018, in Los Angeles. The Clippers won 116-102. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James dunks during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Friday, March 9, 2018, in Los Angeles. The Clippers won 116-102. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster watches during the second half of an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Friday, March 9, 2018, in Los Angeles. The Clippers won 116-102. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

LOS ANGELES — There was so much to unpack Friday at Staples Center, starting with another night in a chaotic playoff race, another must-win game in a string of them, another talented opponent seeking its own postseason position and a superstar whose very presence sent a jolt of energy through the building.

The Clippers played host to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers and sought to ignore all the hype and glory that went with him and them. It was just another game for the Clippers, who needed a victory in order to remain in eighth place in the Western Conference standings.

All the rest was a mere sideshow.

By night’s end, the Clippers handled their business, taking a 116-102 victory from the Cavaliers in front of a raucous sellout crowd of 19,130. The Clippers won, in large part, because they limited James’ highlight-reel moments to only a handful.

There was a long-distance 3-pointer here and a soaring dunk there. Mostly, it was routine stuff.

James’ play overshadowed the Staples Center returns of former Lakers Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr., whose real homecomings won’t be until Sunday, when their former team plays host to their new one. James had 25 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, earning sustained cheers.

James lifted fans from their seats by faking the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan off his feet, driving to the basket and delivering a thunderous dunk that ignited a short surge that brought the Cavaliers to within 85-77 to start the fourth quarter. The Clippers absorbed the blow and pushed back.

Three Clippers scored 20 points or more, led by Tobias Harris, who had 23. DeAndre Jordan scored 20 points and grabbed 23 rebounds for his ninth career game with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds and his second this season against Cleveland. Montrezl Harrell also scored 20.

“I liked our pace,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “We didn’t get down. Our goal at the start of the game was a silly goal. It was to make them call the first timeout, because the last four or five games we’ve called the first timeout, and that established our pace.”

In addition, Rivers liked the Clippers’ defensive play against James.

Rivers shuffled the deck and came up with his 31st different starting lineup of the season, tops in the NBA. He inserted Lou Williams into Milos Teodosic’s spot in the backcourt and Sindarius Thornwell into Wesley Johnson’s position in the frontcourt.

Thornwell, a rookie, drew James as his defensive assignment for the second time this season, and not because it worked so well last time. James scored 39 points and added 14 rebounds and six assists in the Cavaliers’ victory over the Clippers on Nov. 17 in Cleveland.

This time, it wasn’t a lose-lose proposition, though.

“Our defense was tremendous,” Rivers said. “LeBron eventually is going to get some. But what I thought we did was guard everybody else (well). We did a great job there, and that’s what you have to do. Listen, sometimes you look at a guy and say, ‘He’s pretty good. But we can stop everyone else.’

“You’re not going to block his shot,” he said. “You’re not going to stop him. You just stay in front of him and make it tough for him, make it difficult for him, and that’s what I did. It was a team effort. It always takes a team to slow him down. It wasn’t just me.”

The Clippers allowed themselves a short period to celebrate and then turned their attention to the next order of business: A home date less than 24 hours later with the Orlando Magic. They rose to the occasion against James and the Cavaliers and promised a repeat Saturday against the Magic.

“We can’t lose to the Magic because that just erases everything we did tonight,” Clippers guard Austin Rivers said. “We can’t go .500 right now. That’s not going to cut it. We need to win these games back-to-back. Tonight was a huge game and we can feel good for the next hour or two.

Elliott Teaford covers the Anaheim Ducks for the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. He covered the Ducks for 12 years, including the Stanley Cup season, for the Los Angeles Times and the Daily Breeze before returning to the beat in 2018 for SCNG. He also covered the Lakers for five seasons, including their back-to-back NBA championships in 2009 and '10. He once made a jump shot over future Utah Jazz center Mark Eaton during a pickup game in 1980 at Cypress College.